Eyerseys Autotrader adventure
Discussion
Peanut Gallery said:
Tell me about it, but less sad than my previous car.
I still miss that Focus, bought at 89k miles, was scrapped at 168500 miles.
Only once left us stranded (failed alternator, no warning lights)
Spent over 10k in bills.
At least in the end the entire car just said enough, time out. AC went, clutch was slipping, spun a bearing, wheel bearing gave up, suspension needed more bits, tyres were close, rear brakes binding again, head was warped, exhaust was leaking, the cat had given up, the paint was peeling, timing belt was nearly due, rust was setting in hard!
Don't want to steal the thread, so imagine some pics of my daughter standing at the wheel steering away, making brmm brmm noises, changing gear etc!
Does your daughter think it's your old car when she sees another Aquarius Blue Focus Peanut Gallery? I can imagine you miss it, sounds like it served you well. What happened to the car the Focus replaced? I still miss that Focus, bought at 89k miles, was scrapped at 168500 miles.
Only once left us stranded (failed alternator, no warning lights)
Spent over 10k in bills.
At least in the end the entire car just said enough, time out. AC went, clutch was slipping, spun a bearing, wheel bearing gave up, suspension needed more bits, tyres were close, rear brakes binding again, head was warped, exhaust was leaking, the cat had given up, the paint was peeling, timing belt was nearly due, rust was setting in hard!
Don't want to steal the thread, so imagine some pics of my daughter standing at the wheel steering away, making brmm brmm noises, changing gear etc!
Peanut Gallery said:
I'm surprised she does not! - more a random exclamation about it if we are ever discussing a road trip or me fixing anything. Friend has the same colour, Focus, just the Mk 2.5 version - she has never really made the connection there.
Did it serve me well, jury is out. It ate tyres, it drank fuel, it wasnt the comfiest, it could move, but you needed to work it the whole time. It spent an age in the shop, getting new suspension bits at least every year, it was fairly big - no-where near the carrying capacity of your estate - but 3 adults couldn't really fit across the back, it rusted away far more than any modern car should, surprise surprise ate more headlight bulbs than it should, rainwater pooled in the sparkplugs, so needed emptying pretty much daily. On the plus side the engine could be worked hard - daily to the red-line, it was responsive (put your foot down you got immediate drama, not the slow build a turbo diesel has) could be fairly nippy around town, but no rocket ship.
Previous car was my late girlfriends Fiesta. as is Scotland, it rusted, so I had the sills re-done, only to discover that the guy who re-did it was actually registered blind, and it showed. All that did was hold salty water against the rest of the car. That car ate suspension parts and brakes even more, but after going to the garage for my monthly £300 repair, and was told it would need £2.5k in welding alone to get it through its MOT, I decided enough was enough, I had tried my best to keep the car going. Again, in the last 2 weeks that I still had to drive the car, the wiring started to give up (different brightness bulbs) front springs snapped, bolts holding the front seats rusted off, I could physically fit my fingers into the A pillar through rust spots, Engine was an absolute peach, little 1.25, really responsive, Zetec, so half Yamaha and half Ford, it really enjoyed revving, and could easily pull all the way past 6k. Put V-power in, and it used to nearly keep up with traffic and stay below 2k, only sipping the fuel, with v-power it pulled hard to the rev limiter, with normal fuel in it used to just run out of get up and go near the limiter. Being a little 1.25 it was never going to really set the world on fire, but still managed to get me one speeding ticket. (Got my late girlfriend 2 or 3 in the space of 9 months). Still really miss that car, and occasionally look one up on autotrader / ebay.
That surprises me she doesn't as well. I had a 56 reg Fiesta 1.25 before the Focus, had from new and did 173k in it, I only said goodbye to mine as it was going to cost too much to get through the MOTDid it serve me well, jury is out. It ate tyres, it drank fuel, it wasnt the comfiest, it could move, but you needed to work it the whole time. It spent an age in the shop, getting new suspension bits at least every year, it was fairly big - no-where near the carrying capacity of your estate - but 3 adults couldn't really fit across the back, it rusted away far more than any modern car should, surprise surprise ate more headlight bulbs than it should, rainwater pooled in the sparkplugs, so needed emptying pretty much daily. On the plus side the engine could be worked hard - daily to the red-line, it was responsive (put your foot down you got immediate drama, not the slow build a turbo diesel has) could be fairly nippy around town, but no rocket ship.
Previous car was my late girlfriends Fiesta. as is Scotland, it rusted, so I had the sills re-done, only to discover that the guy who re-did it was actually registered blind, and it showed. All that did was hold salty water against the rest of the car. That car ate suspension parts and brakes even more, but after going to the garage for my monthly £300 repair, and was told it would need £2.5k in welding alone to get it through its MOT, I decided enough was enough, I had tried my best to keep the car going. Again, in the last 2 weeks that I still had to drive the car, the wiring started to give up (different brightness bulbs) front springs snapped, bolts holding the front seats rusted off, I could physically fit my fingers into the A pillar through rust spots, Engine was an absolute peach, little 1.25, really responsive, Zetec, so half Yamaha and half Ford, it really enjoyed revving, and could easily pull all the way past 6k. Put V-power in, and it used to nearly keep up with traffic and stay below 2k, only sipping the fuel, with v-power it pulled hard to the rev limiter, with normal fuel in it used to just run out of get up and go near the limiter. Being a little 1.25 it was never going to really set the world on fire, but still managed to get me one speeding ticket. (Got my late girlfriend 2 or 3 in the space of 9 months). Still really miss that car, and occasionally look one up on autotrader / ebay.
Peanut Gallery said:
That's the one that used to stick on mine, the handbrake cable had frayed and held the handbrake on - I was surprised just how much extra fuel it used, about 100 miles per tank.
A cable at eye watering price fixed it.
Merry Christmas!!
Thank you Peanut Gallery, it had a new n/s/r caliper about 18 months ago when the back brakes were changed so I'm hoping it just needs a clean up. A cable at eye watering price fixed it.
Merry Christmas!!
Merry Christmas to you and your family, did Santa bring lots of nice gifts for small PG?
Peanut Gallery said:
Fingers crossed it is just a cleanup!
Thank you, yip, santa has been brilliant for them, she's still running around on a chocolate high, no nap all day, and still more to open tomorrow. I am concerned about pink glitter getting everywhere though...
Glad you have all had a good day, we were at MILs for Christmas dinner. Is the S Max running well? Thank you, yip, santa has been brilliant for them, she's still running around on a chocolate high, no nap all day, and still more to open tomorrow. I am concerned about pink glitter getting everywhere though...
Bobberoo99 said:
Just a thought, they aren't cheap pads that are in the caliper are they? I put Eurocarparts cheapies in the rear of the older Focus and they squeak quite often!!!
I can't remember which pads were put in it when they were changed, I'll hunt out the bill later and see, though when the car is stopped after having been driven there is heat coming from the n/s/r wheel which is why I thought caliperBobberoo99 said:
Good that you now know what it was, shame it's a cost you could do without straight after Christmas.
These things happen, no point in getting cross about it, though I agree it's a cost anyone can do without straight after Christmas. I had suspected the caliper was the problem. It could well have been the original one though so if that's the case it didn't do too badly The last couple of mornings the car has taken a bit of cranking to get going first thing and there has been a cloud of white smoke on startup along with a slight smell of diesel, I'm thinking injectors but is there anything else it could be? Once it has ran and been switched off it starts fine.
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff